Nine Eleven
by modestlobster
Summary: All characters. “We have a serious situation on our hands.” My first WW fic, tough topic, but I tried.
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: All characters borrowed from The West Wing are owned by Mr. Aaron Sorkin.   
Author's Note: The words are mine and the situations they convey are based on real life. I started writing this story very soon after these events occurred because my emotions were strongest then. I waited for three weeks to pass before putting this story up and I realize that that may not have been enough time for most people. I also received some (more or less) negative response to the quality of the writing. I would like to say that this is my first West Wing fic. I was initially hooked by the fast-paced conversations in the show and I tried to recapture that effect in writing. I understand that, for some, this story was posted too soon to be read and considered as 'real' writing, but I hope that if you read it you would review it in a way that would tell me what you liked about the writing so that I can write other things that people would enjoy reading. This fanfic was not designed to offend anyone, but to be a reminder. Thanks.   
  
"Mr. President? If you don't get up now, you won't have time for your morning jog."   
"Are you trying to tell me what to do, Charlie?"   
"No sir. I'm just alerting you that you won't have time for a morning jog if you don't wake up now."   
"Charlie."   
"Yes, sir?"   
"Do you know where I'm from?"   
"Yes, sir. You were born and raised in New Hampshire."   
"And do you know what we don't do in New Hampshire, Charlie?"   
"Jog, sir?"   
"Never in the morning. And now that I've been woken up, I think I'll have breakfast, Charlie."   
"I'm sorry to have bothered you, Mr. President."   
"Don't worry about it, Charlie."   
"Yes, Mr. President. I'll notify your wife about breakfast."   
"Thank you, Charlie."   
"Yes, sir."   
The door closed.   
----------------   
"Mr. President, would you like to review the agenda again?"   
"Charlie, I think I've got it: Let's see... I go to the school; I will be impressed by whatever the teacher and schoolchildren show or tell me; whenever they are done, I make my way to their media center and give an impressive speech about my education plan; everyone claps and is impressed; we leave and have an impressive little parade and then we eventually go back to Washington."   
"That was a very impressive recollection, Mr. President."   
"I'll forget it in five minutes. What was the name of the school again?"   
----------------   
"Charlie, I can't breathe."   
"Should I get your wife?"   
"Not that. Tell these secret service agents to open up a little room. I don't want to scare the children."   
"Yes, sir."   
Jed Bartlet sighed. It was an elementary school. He hadn't seen any 7-year-olds with uzis yet, so he figured he didn't need to feel the breath of a no-named agent on his neck. He wasn't a convict who should be under close security, nor was this a prison housing a hundred of the aforementioned convicts.   
Charlie returned to the President's side. "Uh, sir, you just passed the classroom."   
"We're going to Room 53, Charlie?"   
"Yes, sir, Mr. President."   
"And we passed it?"   
"Yes, sir."   
"I thought we were still in the 30s... If you're wrong, Charlie, I swear I'll..."   
"I know, Mr. President."   
"But you're not wrong, are you Charlie?"   
"No, sir."   
"Okay."   
The President stopped in mid-stride and turned around, nearly colliding with the agents who had still been nipping at his heels. He brushed through them and the rest of his posse. He could hear the bewildered scramblings of the group trying to reorganize behind him. He left them in their state and walked up to Room 53, which he had actually passed. He paused with his hand on the doorknob.   
"This is the room, Charlie?"   
"Yes, sir."   
"Have you ever been wrong, Charlie?"   
"I try not to be, Mr. President."   
The President walked into the room.   
----------------   
Jed smiled. It sure wasn't close to the type of complex literature he read or collected, but the enjoyment the kids were getting out of it - especially since the President was sitting in their classroom - was endearing and encouraging of the education proposal that was running through his mind for the fortieth time since he'd gotten to the school this morning to meet the principal.   
A small black girl caught his eye, and he gave her a little nod. She smiled furiously and turned back to the book. All of the children were being on their best behavior, Jed imagined, but it had to be difficult to concentrate with a strange man in the classroom, let alone that the man was the President. He relaxed a little more, absorbing more of the ego-boosting respect and honesty pouring forth from these young faces.   
Charlie pulled him back from his reverie in their innocence and whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. President. Sir, we just got word, something has happened. A plane crashed into one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center."   
Jed's smile dropped a level or two. The little black girl noticed, and her eyes grew questioning. Children, with their amazing abilities to be receptive of emotions, were the important things at the moment. He had to finish this. He gave the girl a reassuring smile. She knew something was wrong, or at least different, but she accepted his answer. As a child, she couldn't do anything more.   
As the book came to a close, the President thanked the children and their teacher. He headed to the media center led by the principal. He almost missed that door too, however, by listening to Charlie's briefing on a revised speech - his original one would be delivered by someone else. He stepped into a packed room, expressions of awe fixating on him. The microphone was waiting for him - his words. He found himself searching for that pair of brown eyes - as if he needed to tell that one girl this the most. He wanted to explain to her, above everyone else in the room at that moment, what he had just learned. His gaze never found those eyes. He closed his eyes briefly and drew in a breath.   
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I came here today to talk about education. I came to your school with the intention of telling you about this proposal - this idea - I have. Instead," He paused. "Instead, I am going to tell you about a horrible tragedy. Earlier this morning two airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country. I am going to have one of my staff speak to you about my education plan because I have business to take care of. Thank you very much for allowing me to come to your school."   
He turned to shake the principal's hand. She mouthed, "Is it true?" Jed gave her a slight nod. He walked out of a room full of confused and upset faces.   
----------------   
"Mr. President, we're going to take you and Dr. Bartlet to Louisiana."   
"Where's Charlie?"   
"He's staying in Florida to wrap things up. We're heading to the Barksdale Air Force Base."   
"What do we know?"   
"I beg your pardon, sir?"   
Bartlet just blinked. "You mean to tell me that we have a national crisis on our hands, and you haven't the faintest clue what I could mean by asking you what we know?"   
"I'm sorry, sir. I'm a little shaken... I know people there, I'm not thinking."   
Jed's look softened, but he kept the same crisp composure in his voice, the same authoritative tone, "Son, we are the United States Government. We all know people in New York. And as the United States Government, we can't afford to be shaken, we can't risk not thinking."   
The man, looking oddly wise and helpless at the same time, nodded.   
"Now, what do we know?" 


	2. Part 2

She sighed. "I still don't know where we're going or why. All I know is that someone said something about planes blowing up. You have my sympathy, but I can't do anything about it until I get an official statement to read. I have a few hundred other things I need to do before I talk with the press and I have no doubt that this will be attended to with high priority before then. But I can't do anything until I get word from the higher offices."   
"Ms. Cregg, this is very important. It has to do with terrorists and the World Trade Center Towers."   
Now this unnamed woman had CJ's attention.   
"What about the towers?" CJ stopped walking.   
"They were run into by terrorists who hijacked planes."   
"The planes hit the Twin Towers?"   
"Yes."   
"Our Manhattan? Our World Trade Center? Our Twin 110-story Towers?"   
"Yes."   
CJ began walking again - this time with a mission plan revised from trying to get away from this woman she didn't know - to Toby's office. She glanced back at the woman who was still trying to follow her. "Where were you going to take me?"   
"To the Roosevelt Room. Mr. McGarry wanted -"   
"Ok. I'll be there. I just need a minute. I'll bring Toby."   
----------------   
Josh walked into Sam's office. "When did they start showing movies on CNN?"   
Sam looked over his glasses at him. "Never. Why?"   
"Turn it on."   
Sam wheeled his chair over to the TV. He was stopped short by a slightly hysterical calling of his name.   
"Sam!"   
"In here."   
Donna poked her head in. The two guys noticed she was struggling to keep her composure.   
"Oh, Josh. Good." She handed them each a memo.   
Sam turned the TV on mid-sheet.   
"Wait, wait," Josh looked up to the screen. "This says two planes, the TV said a fire... or something."   
"The memo's right."   
"Why isn't the news up-to-date?"   
"Because we're Washington, Josh."   
"Yah. But I normally never hear about anything first. This is a new experience for me."   
"Will you be serious, Josh. This is devastating."   
"What do we do now?" Sam interceded.   
"Well, you two need to go to the Roosevelt Room. Leo will be there. I'll... be in Josh's office... watching the news."   
Sam stood up, placing the papers he had started reading earlier to sit - forgotten for the moment, now being cumbersome objects - on his desk.   
"Let's go, Josh."   
----------------   
CJ burst into Toby's office - not knocking, uncharacteristic for her - and he stood there, facing the door, as if expecting her. His muted TV showed the newest footage of the second plane crashing into the South Tower.   
"Toby," CJ said softly.   
He finally seemed to realize she was in the room.   
He spoke quietly. "Leo wants to see us."   
It could have been a question or a statement. His face was blank. CJ walked behind his desk where he was standing.   
Toby's face remained expressionless as he talked to her. "My cousin had been planning to go to Manhattan with her daughters to see her brother at the Windows on the World Restaurant for breakfast."   
CJ continued to speak softly, surmising, "They were there today."   
Just as much of a statement as a question. And she could tell his answer without even looking at his face. She put her arms lightly around his neck and coaxed his head onto her shoulder. She watched silently as a plane flew into the South Tower in slow motion.   
"Toby."   
"Yeah."   
"Let's see Leo."   
----------------   
"They're all here, Mr. President," Leo thought to himself. "Now, what the hell do I do?"   
Leo sighed and cleared his throat. "As you all know, we have a serious situation on our hands."   
----------------   
Charlie took his liberty to walk around the school's premises. He wouldn't be able to see Washington or the President for a while; he'd make his isolation interesting, at least.   
Everything was calm and seemed like it could have been any normal school day, but he knew that the teachers were neglecting their lesson plans and that the pictures they were labeling on their boards were those of the Manhattan skyscrapers. To calm the fears and to attempt to answer the questions of all those kids, he knew the teachers had their work cut out for them today.   
Charlie found himself back with some of the other men who had nothing to do now that the President was gone. Some women were in tears or close to it. Charlie looked up to the sky - where God was said to be.   
He whispered, "God help us."   
In the back of his mind, Charlie knew that they were already being helped in so much as the country was the schoolchildren and the President, their teacher.   
----------------   
They weren't accomplishing much of anything, but still, they didn't want any interruptions. And the entire group considered the staff aide as just such an interruption.   
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but security is asking that the building be evacuated within the next hour."   
The man left quickly, retreating from their seemingly unfounded, icy glares.   
"Well..."   
Sam couldn't have summed up the others' thoughts any simpler.   
And he wouldn't have had the chance, either. A polite knock came to the door, and Donna followed it.   
"Donna, we're in a meet-"   
"Don't talk just right now, Josh. I know you were told about the evacuations and didn't take it very seriously for the moment because we have excellent people working in security and... What I wanted to say... What happened is... Look. Things just changed. Another plane just crashed into the Pentagon and now we're receiving bomb threats. Forget about the orderly evacuations that we're supposed to follow. Forget everything. Just run."   
----------------   
"You don't understand. I want to know where my parents are."   
Pause.   
"Fine. Then you don't understand that I NEED to know where my parents are."   
Pause.   
"Of course it's not a secure line! It's a pay phone at Georgetown!"   
Pause.   
"He should be on television? Okay. When?"   
Pause.   
"You know, I've gotten more information about my father from my father while he was asleep!"   
Pause.   
"Yeah. Uh-huh."   
Slam.   
Zoey Bartlet wasn't happy.   
----------------   
"The American people need to know what I think. They want me to say something, Abbey."   
"Do you absolutely have to disclose your location, Jed? There could still be... people... out there trying to..."   
"I know. But I also know that if I show that I'm going to hide, the American people will sense that fear. They need to have faith in their government. They can know that I'm in Louisiana."   
"Okay, Jed, okay." 


	3. Part 3

"Josh? Are you in here?"   
"Yep. So is Sam."   
"Hey Donna."   
"Hi Sam... What are you two doing?"   
Josh answered, "We are... at this moment, discussing the effects of terrorism on the world supply of milk while eating our Wheaties™ plain."   
"I'll come back when you want to be serious, Joshua." Donna shook her head and left.   
"She just called you Joshua."   
"Yah."   
"Well?"   
"What? Are you jealous? Do you want me to call you Samuel?"   
----------------   
A soft knock came to the door.   
"Yah. Come in."   
She closed the door behind her.   
"You came back for the Wheaties™, didn't you? I told Sam you'd be back, but he didn't believe me."   
"No, Josh. That's not why I'm here. I came back to tell you that the Pentagon is collapsing, they found a fourth plane, and that the South Tower has collapsed and the North Tower is expected to follow suit. That's why I came back, Josh."   
"The skyline is falling? The skyline is falling!" He paused. "...Really? That's terrible news."   
"Yes. It is, Josh." Her tone was steely.   
Sam didn't really want to get in the middle of this. His life could be at stake. Suddenly though, Donna embraced Josh, tears streaming down her face. "Why do you have to be so insensitive?"   
"I've been through a lot of things... And this is just how I respond to these situations. I know I don't always say the right things at the appropriate times... But, well, you have tears, and I have witty one-liners."   
"They're really not that witty, Josh."   
"No?"   
She shook her head "No." and resumed crying into his shoulder.   
Sam wisely took the opportunity to leave them alone. "I'll be out... doing things."   
Josh mouthed, "Nicely said, Samuel."   
----------------   
Sam ambled around the hallways of the nearby hotel where they had evacuated to. He immediately found CJ, her exasperated tone drilling into the receiver of a secured-line telephone. She was still doing her job. Toby was there with her. Sam observed that Toby wasn't really watching the close-captioned words scrolling across the muted television. He could have been asleep except for the fact that his eyes were open and he seemed to be staring, but at nothing in particular. Sam caught CJ's attention and she motioned for him to sit down while she was still fully engaged in conversation. "They've confirmed the planes? United Airlines, too?"   
Pause.   
"Right. UN evacuated. He's in... where?"   
She listened for a moment and nodded, obviously not wanting to reveal anything aloud, though Toby was the only other person in the room. Sam decided to try anyway, mouthing, "What?"   
She responded in silence, "Bartlet. In LA."   
"Los Angeles?"   
She shook her head, clarifying, "Louisiana."   
Toby suddenly spoke aloud, but quietly, in his reserved manner, "What's next?"   
CJ turned to him. "Speech."   
Toby nodded and turned back to the TV, or the wall, or whatever. Sam chose not to question the apparent link between the two older government employees that enabled them to fully understand each other in very few words.   
Sam resumed his questioning as he wasn't quite as adept at reading CJ's mind. "When?"   
"'Just stay tuned.'" CJ quoted her informant. She shrugged. She couldn't tell Sam when. She didn't know herself.   
"Just stay tuned."   
----------------   
Leo refused to sit down. He needed to speak with the President. He wanted to argue the health of the country and the health of the presidency like anal old men. Because that's what they were and that's what they were good at.   
"Damn it." He cursed under his breath. He should also be calling his ex-wife. He shrugged. He could blame that one on senility.   
----------------   
"Donna, make a note: My beeper is not linked to any type of harmful device and therefore, when it vibrates, there is no need for me to yell and throw it across the room."   
Silence.   
"I don't hear writing."   
"It... it was more of a scream."   
"I still... What?"   
"I've heard men yell, Josh. That was definitely a scream."   
"Then make a note that I shouldn't scream when my beeper goes off. And make sure you put the note on my desk so that it gets lost with everything else I ever put on it."   
"You should try looking in the drawers."   
"What drawers?"   
"The drawers of your desk."   
"Why?"   
"You might find things in them."   
"Really?"   
"Trust me."   
"Ok."   
He picked up his beeper. "It's CJ. We're supposed to turn on CNN."   
Josh turned on the TV. Leo stopped at the doorframe.   
"Mind if I join you to watch?"   
Donna shook her head, "Not at all. Please come in, Mr. McGarry, sit down."   
"That's all right, I'll stand."   
He leaned against the doorframe, a somber expression on his face, his hands in his pockets. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything. I heard a scream."   
"It was Josh."   
Leo looked at him for an explanation.   
"My beeper went off. It's CJ's fault."   
"Pointing fingers can come later. Let's see what the President has to say."   
----------------   
The President blinked a few times and cleared his throat. Three seconds.   
Two.   
One.   
"In the past several hours, many horrific events have unfurled. Terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon - beacons of America's economy and strength. And freedom itself suffered attack by faceless cowards. But our freedom will be defended. That is the top priority right now - that our freedom perseveres.   
Make no mistake: the United States, with all the power it holds and all the assistance it can evoke from every available source... The United States will find and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts. The United States will have its freedom."   
----------------   
"He's in Louisiana? Why? It's not that great. Really, is there anything actually there besides Cajun food, French impersonators, and discarded Mardi Gras beads?"   
"That's probably the point, Josh. But is there a reason that I'm sensing some hidden hostility from you towards Louisiana?"   
"I lost a watch there once."   
"And that did it for you? You're embittered for life because you lost a watch in Louisiana?"   
"Yah. Pretty much."   
Josh looked over at Leo who seemed to still be contemplating the President's speech.   
"What do you think, Leo? What now?"   
"This is a hell of a test, especially so soon after releasing to the press that he has M.S."   
Leo shook his head, "Oh good. It figures that when I'm angry I speak in rhyme. It's hardly an appropriate..."   
"Time?" Donna whispered.   
"Thank you Ms. Moss."   
----------------   
Toby announced quietly, "Washington's now officially in a state of emergency."   
Sam nodded in acknowledgement. "It's about time. Especially since Donna has officially been in a state of emergency since 9:30 this morning."   
Toby nodded, "She has her reasons. We all have our reasons."   
CJ was back on the phone. "Okay, so now he's leaving Louisiana... Going somewhere classified... And you won't tell me where."   
She listened for a moment longer and then hung up.   
"So what now? We wait?"   
CJ nodded.   
Toby sighed and closed his eyes, "We can't do anything more." 


	4. Part 4

"Vice President Hoynes, what are you opinions at this time?"   
"If you're speaking about the event itself, I think that it's a horrible catastrophe."   
"What are your opinions on President Bartlet's reactions?"   
"I back the President fully." "What do you think should be done to resolve this?"   
"I back whatever the President decides to do."   
"But, at this point, what do you think the President should do?"   
"I back the President."   
----------------   
It was true that the plane was being ushered by a few of Air Force One's own escort planes, but, nonetheless, it still took some coaxing to get any of the government officials on the plane headed for the Washington airport. The two hours on the plane had been endured apprehensively, but overall it went smoothly enough.   
Charlie had gotten to see the President's speech while in the air - he found himself nodding in response as if the President was in the same room.   
But now he was stuck - again.   
He was in Washington - which was the good thing - but Washington was in a state of emergency, so he couldn't go anywhere or do anything.   
Charlie looked up and saw a pair of Golden Arches. The most widespread example of American influence.   
He'd have lunch. He'd call some people, but right now, he would have lunch.   
----------------   
"Josh, call Joey Lucas. Tell her we're going to need some information eventually. We have to come up with a good way to do that."   
Josh nodded to Leo and glanced quickly at Donna.   
"Yah... I can do that."   
"Have a nice flight, Mr. McGarry."   
"Thank you, Ms. Moss."   
Leo left to find Margaret and then to the Washington airport to meet with the President and the rest of the National Security Council.   
Josh walked a couple of paces. He put his hands in his pockets. He rocked on his feet slightly.   
"Josh."   
He turned his head. "Yes, Donna?"   
"Stop it."   
"Sorry." He stopped rocking.   
"Not that. Well yes, that. But stop procrastinating and denying yourself."   
"I'm procrastinating?"   
"Yes."   
"And denying myself?"   
"Yes, Josh."   
"What is it that I should be doing and want to be doing, but I'm not doing?"   
"Calling Joey."   
"Oh. That? Leo didn't specifically specify a specific time that I specifically needed to call her."   
"But you want to call her."   
"Specifically, could you specify why you think that?"   
"Because you're fidgeting and being redundant and repeating yourself."   
"Really?"   
"To be specific: yes."   
----------------   
Josh followed his guttural sense of direction (and the directions from several people he finally asked after getting severely lost in less than eight minutes) to find CJ - who had a secure line - to 'steal' the phone to call Joey. Donna had stayed behind to watch the news. He found CJ, though she was reluctant to be relieved of the phone - the fact that she hissed and was near to screaming obscenities at him supported this (well, she didn't really, but Josh tended to over exaggerate) - and called Joey.   
Josh tried her cell phone - no answer; she was out of range. He tried her at home - she wasn't there and the answering machine wasn't on. He called her voice mail:   
"Hi, Joey. This is Josh Lyman. I couldn't get in touch with you, so I hope you're ok. I'm calling you because Leo has a job for you. I don't have the specifics just yet, but in light of today... Well, you'll have some idea of what to be prepared for. I've got my beeper with me, so... Yah. I'll talk with you later, Joey. Thanks."   
He hated talking to no one. And he hated the feeling he got listening to the endless rings when no one picked up. He hated not knowing if she was ok. She had to be ok.   
----------------   
Toby watched Josh for a moment and then turned back to the TV.   
"This is serious. They closed Disney World."   
Sam was right. A mass exodus from Floridian theme parks was being shown. Toby rubbed his forehead.   
CJ gave him a look asking him if he was okay. He gave her a look, "Yeah."   
He stood up and motioned to the door. "I'm getting some coffee, can I bring back anything?"   
Josh waved his hand a little - indicating his insufficient amount of caffeine in his system further with a short yawn mid sentence.   
Sam nodded. "One for me, too. If you could."   
Toby nodded and looked to CJ. She was getting up to join him. He walked out with her right behind.   
They walked in silence.   
They poured their coffee in silence.   
Finally, CJ asked, "Are we going to actually talk sometime today, Toby? I haven't heard a good argument from you yet, and I miss it. I think everyone does. Hell, Josh and Sam look like they have too much good material stacking up in their brains, and they have no way to put it to good use."   
"CJ, when you're on the Hill, you know exactly what to say to make people happy - at least satisfied - and you also know when to say 'no comment.' and just leave it at that."   
"But I don't keep quiet and say 'no comment.' depending on my mood for the day."   
Toby poured two extra cups of coffee.   
"How do Josh and Sam like their coffee?"   
Toby thought for a moment. "Keep them both black."   
"Black?"   
"Yeah. Sometimes, the blacker things are, the more perspective they put on everything else."   
CJ paused for a moment. "They could still be alive."   
Toby sighed. "Even in blackness, there is hope for the light that may never shine."   
----------------   
It had been eerily quiet as there were no other cars on the road driving to the airport. Leo felt like a lone survivor of an apocalyptic war, excepting his driver. He could have convinced himself he was too, had there not been such a crowd of stranded people at the airport. They were hovering around in groups consolidating each other or else they were lining up at pay phones because their cell phones wouldn't work. He caught a glimpse of someone he recognized, but continued to the only open gate - the only cleared airplane.   
"Hey, Leo!"   
"Thousands of other men named Leo," Leo told himself. "I'm not the only one."   
"Leo?"   
He kept walking, his hands in his pockets, to his gate.   
"Mr. McGarry!"   
There could be another Mr. McGarry. Besides, he didn't have time for the public - he had somewhere to go.   
"Leo McGarry!"   
Okay.   
Leo turned around. He was being approached by that familiar face.   
"Charlie. What are you doing here?"   
"I was stranded here after I got in from Florida. Why are you here?"   
"NSC. Listen, I have a driver outside. He can take you wherever. But you should get out of here. I'm sure you're needed elsewhere."   
Charlie nodded. "Give my regards to the President."   
"Yeah... Charlie?"   
"Yes?" "Are you doing okay?"   
He nodded and Leo patted him on the shoulder.   
"Well, then I'm off to help the President save the world."   
Charlie hoped they would.   
----------------   
"Nebraska. The Cornhusker State. The home of J. Sterling Morton, the father of Arbor Day, a U.S. secretary of agriculture, legislator and Nebraska territorial secretary. Also the home of Kool-Aid which was invented in Hastings, Nebraska. Nebraska is the only state with a non-partisan unicameral, a one-house legislature. It is also houses the greatest congregation of sandhill cranes each spring - a half-million birds from several southern states gather for six weeks in a 40 mile stretch of the Platte River before fanning out across Canada. Also, oddly enough, the 911 emergency system originated in Nebraska and was first established in Lincoln. And good old Nebraska is the control center for America's nuclear weapons."   
"Mr. President, sir."   
"Yes?" He was pulled out of his Nebraskan soliloquy.   
"Two aircraft carriers have been deployed off the coast of New York, five battleships have been sent out to sea, and the Navy has dispatched missile destroyers and other equipment and heavy machinery to both Washington and New York."   
"Thank you, Steve."   
"Yes, sir."   
Jed sunk down in his seat and thought to himself.   
"The nation goes to Hell and they fly me to Louisiana and Nebraska. Aren't we lucky? Aren't the Nebraskans, the Louisianians lucky? Nothing will happen to them because that's where I have to go when something happens to everyone else."   
Jed began ranting and raving in silence - arguing with God in his head, "Nebraska's still here with our nuclear missiles - which the fact that we even consider using them is a shame in itself. Nebraska is fine. That's what we tell ourselves. But we're not fine. We're on the verge of war! Past! We've been shoved off the verge, now hurtling towards the abyss we call war right as we speak. 'God doesn't make things happen, people make things happen.' Well God, you must have gotten bored one day and decided to throw these screwballs into the mix. But, okay, the blame is not yours. I'll accept that. I know you didn't make that car crash, nor did you make this happen. I know we have to accept that in order for us to turn to you when these things happen and ask you for help, for courage. But it's hard to keep going on without any answers. Who did what wrong? What happened to the United States' entente cordiale with the world? We try to be the good guys here. So, how come we are still fighting the same battles of our ancestors that have been outdated for millennia now?"   
"Jed?"   
"Yes, Abbey."   
"You look angry. Jed, you can talk about this. You are the President, but you are allowed to be human."   
"Abbey."   
"Yes, Jed?"   
"I think our girls need to hear from their mother."   
She nodded.   
"Jed."   
"Yes, Abbey?"   
"You are the President, but you are allowed to be their father." 

geovisit();


	5. Part 5

Donna was sitting, unhappily shocked, between Josh and Sam.   
"How can they be so... mean?"   
Josh looked at her, "You do know that they don't just hate you, they hate all of us. They didn't just decide to pick out a few Americans and choose to not like them and bully them. They haven't like the whole of us for a long, long time. So long that it doesn't make sense to anyone but them anymore."   
"Josh, we have people jumping out 110 story buildings today... and they're... applauding... and cheering..."   
Sam added, "They're starting their Holy War. They consider it a reason to celebrate."   
"It's just not right."   
There was no way to argue that point.   
So the three continued to sit there, being reminiscent of children trying to explain and relate life's cruelties to each other. And CJ and Toby came in to deliver coffee and to resume previous activities.   
Donna looked to Toby, "They hate us, Toby."   
"We've known that."   
Donna still didn't look convinced that everyone actually understood that they were not liked by another country, but she decided to give up on eliciting a more emotional response from any of them. She saw that CJ was already busy on the phone again - trying to get information about the proceedings of the National Security Council.   
Donna thought it odd that, though they were all in the same room together, they were all very alone - their minds so obviously far apart.   
Several sports games were being canceled or postponed and Sam and Josh protested out loud.   
Well, okay, so maybe Josh and Sam were still thinking along the same wavelength.   
----------------   
Jed looked around. He saw men. Only men. The United States was depending on a group of guys who looked like they wanted to punch something - or someone - in the face.   
Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have.   
He had Vice President Hoynes, Berryhill - the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense - Hutchinson; Rob was there; Mike, Jack, Bobby, and Jonathon, too; but where was-   
Leo walked in, looking slightly disheveled, "I'm sorry I'm late Mr. President, but I'm here, now."   
"Good. Come in Leo, sit down."   
Now the President was ready to make some decisions.   
----------------   
CJ placed the phone in its cradle.   
""We can go home now."   
She received four questioning stares - as if she had stopped mid-sentence or had been speaking in lost tongues. Realizing that she wasn't going to continue, the group rose, leaving CJ bewildered with their confusion. She exited the room slowly. Josh was waiting in the hall for her.   
She asked him, "What did I do? Or what didn't I do?"   
He walked next to her, "You forgot the magic word."   
"Please?"   
"No.Thepresidentisokandlifewillgoonbutmostimportantlywehaveajobtodosoletsgetitdoneanddoneright. That's what you forgot."   
CJ shook her head in resignation. Josh could make sense. Sometimes.   
----------------   
It was surreal how everything seemed almost normal in the White House again - everyone was back to work (more or less) - and the President was on his way there.   
"Work" was now compromised of doing little things to deal with the terrorist attacks; so that they wouldn't have a chance to build up and cause irksome problems later. But there were still those who had nothing to do until the President was back in the Oval Office.   
Toby was in a meeting with CJ and Sam, discussing everyone and every way people could be linked and how the American public could attribute to anything the President had or hadn't done in his administration. There would also be some discussion of the White House's (CJ's - technically) response to the effect of the President's diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis on the counter-actions of the government.   
Josh was, meanwhile, building towers with his massive accumulation of paperclips that he had pilfered from various sources over the course of his employment in Washington. Donna caught him in the act. Either it was from the change in air pressure caused by the closing of the door or the actual subtle force of Donna gently shutting it that triggered the discordance of Josh's hour's worth of diligent construction into scattered, indistinct piles of wire.   
"Oh. Sorry, Josh."   
He shrugged. "It's okay. It already happened once today."   
She wrung her hands a little before speaking. "Another building collapsed at the World Trade Center Complex."   
"Which one?"   
"Tower Seven."   
Josh nodded. Donna looked at the ceiling for a moment and then back to him.   
"Josh, they're asking anyone from the White House who has the time to give blood right now, so I figured I'd tell you and see if you would go with me when I went. And I'll go as soon as I get an answer from you. I think this is a great way to help, so -"   
"Donna."   
"Yes?"   
"I'll go."   
"Oh. Okay, good. Thank you."   
He stood up, but paused. "Donna."   
"Yes?"   
"Next time, don't be so nervous - we know each other well, so there's no reason for you to be scared to ask me to -"   
"I wasn't scared to ask you, Josh."   
"You were wringing your hands."   
She looked beat.   
"I... I don't like needles, Josh."   
----------------   
Charlie shuffled through some papers and other assorted debris. The silence was odd; The President, First Lady, Vice President, and Chief of Staff were still absent and Charlie wasn't entirely used to the lack of Mrs. Landingham's presence.   
He looked at the President's agenda and began mentally shifting things and crossing them off. Mrs. Bartlet was going to pitch an education policy before the Senate committee; The President had meetings here and there. Toby walked in.   
"Good to see that you're okay, Charlie."   
"You too, Toby."   
"Yeah, well, we'll see. Anyway, we need you to relate something to the President. We've got a plan."   
----------------   
Sam looked at his notes and the expanse of ink dots that slowly grew in the margin as he continuously tapped his pen, point down. He continued with this activity and, without looking up, asked CJ, "What's wrong with Toby?"   
"Excuse me?"   
"Is he ok?"   
"He's saying he is."   
"What happened?"   
"He might have some family there." She gestured to the TV with its lurid pictures of the smoky New York City skyline.   
"Might?"   
"Yes."   
"He doesn't know?"   
"No. He's going to wait."   
Sam shook his head. "How can he do that?"   
CJ sighed. "Sam, take off your glasses."   
"Why?"   
"When I have to explain things to people, I prefer that they not look so smart." 

geovisit();


	6. Part 6

"I heard what Hoynes said."   
"And so now you're pissed because you actually have a reason against firing him, right?"   
Jed rolled his eyes at Leo.   
"At least he's one less concern of mine right now."   
"You have concerns, Mr. President?"   
"Of course I have concerns, Leo. Shouldn't I?"   
"Should you?"   
"Yes, I should. And I do."   
" 'Having concerns' isn't enough to save the nation."   
"It's a start."   
----------------   
Someone knocked. CJ walked to the door.   
"That's probably Toby."   
It wasn't Toby.   
"Danny. Hi."   
CJ turned to Sam in what he thought was a sheepish manner. But he understood; He'd leave.   
CJ would thank him later, though he really didn't have to sprint out of her office like that. Now she and Danny were alone. She wasn't sure if that's what she had wanted, but that's what she got.   
"Danny, how are you?" He looked torn between wanting to ask her questions and hugging her.   
"I'm glad you're ok, CJ."   
Then again, he always looked like that.   
"Do you want to sit down?"   
Maybe he seemed a little paler than normal.   
"Yeah, I was having a hard time finding out anything..."   
Okay, so he would choose to ask questions first. That's okay, it didn't matter.   
"...And no one could tell me if you were all right or not."   
Oh. Well, she could hug him now. That would be okay, wouldn't it?   
"Danny, I... It's good to see that you're okay, too."   
She hugged him. CJ was glad he was here.   
She'd have to remember to thank Sam.   
----------------   
"Thank you Mr. President."   
"I'll see you later Charlie."   
"Yes, sir."   
Charlie looked at the other two. "So what do we do now?"   
"We move. I left Danny with CJ in her office, so we can find him there. If not, then he should still be in the building."   
Toby looked at Sam, "We're not plotting an assassination or espionage, Sam. You do know that, right?"   
He shrugged. "It sounded cool."   
Charlie shook his head at Sam.   
Toby looked at the two. "Let's go and claim control of the one thing we can control today."   
They both nodded.   
"You've got to love the manipulative, manipulating Press."   
----------------   
Josh was giving blood. Donna was in the other room waiting for him to finish. He knew she'd be out there whispering, praying that he was ok. He smiled at the thought. Of course he'd be ok, but Donna would never believe that until she saw him for herself.   
Her scream kind of pulled him out of this state of contentment. The nurse seemed a trifle disturbed, too.   
Josh shrugged, "She must really, really not like needles, I guess."   
Donna walked in then and apologized to the nurse. She was several different shades of red.   
"Josh... That... that was your pager. It's Joey."   
She handed it to him.   
"And don't even say anything. Women are allowed to scream."   
Josh smirked. He wouldn't - couldn't - argue with that.   
----------------   
"Mr. President, we'll be landing in fifteen minutes."   
"Thanks, Steve."   
"Yes, sir."   
His staff had a plan; The Press was taken care of. He had a plan; The terrorists would be taken care of. The nation had a plan; The victims were already being taken care of.   
He sighed because he knew that there were still many things to be done. Even without considering the rebuilding and moving on, the healing alone would be a very slow process.   
"Sir, we're landing now."   
"Thanks, Steve."   
And yet, time didn't seem to be going slow enough.   
----------------   
Leo followed the President and the First Lady off the helicopter and onto the White House lawn.   
"Well, here we are, Mr. President. It's time to get to business." "What Leo?" He yelled over the roar of the blades, "Of course I know it's not Christmas!"   
Leo shook his head. "Nevermind."   
"What?"   
Leo sighed and rubbed his forehead. The President was right, though.   
It certainly wasn't Christmas.   
----------------   
"Mr. President..."   
"Charlie! Good to see you again."   
"Thank you Mr. President but I..."   
"I'll need your help later on."   
"Okay, but I wouldn't..."   
The President reached the door to the Oval Office.   
"I wouldn't go in there..."   
He opened it.   
"...If I were you."   
Jed picked his way through the mass of emotion that was choking the room and finally found his daughter.   
"Zoey."   
Wait. What was that look she just gave him? Jed should be able to tell - he did have two others daughters and a wife, after all.   
"Are you okay, Zoey?"   
She hugged her father, and he held her.   
"I tried to talk to you, and they wouldn't let me. And I come here and they say they have to check to make sure I don't have any explosives strapped to me anywhere and they've been checking everyone - but I'm the President's daughter so it's kind of pointless because I would never do that - and when they're done I come in here and you're still not home. I just wanted to see my parents."   
"You know, your parents are the First Lady and President of the United States."   
She rolled her eyes, still hugging him.   
"I thought your mother tried to call you girls. Charlie!"   
Charlie looked in. "Yes, sir?"   
"Where's my wife?"   
"The First Lady should be in shortly."   
Abbey brushed past Charlie and walked into the room. Jed transferred Zoey from clinging to him to her mother.   
"I thought you called her, Abbey."   
"I tried honey. They couldn't find you." She was answering to Zoey.   
"I tried to call you, but they wouldn't let me speak to you."   
Jed decided to let them have some time, so he dismissed himself out of the Oval Office and nearly collided with CJ.   
"Mr. President, I need to speak with you quickly and then speak to some people."   
"What do you need?"   
He followed her into the miraculously vacated Mural Room and closed the door.   
"Sir, we have reports that there were explosions over Kabul around 2:30 AM, their time."   
"It wasn't us."   
"You're sure?"   
"Well, if it was us, I sure didn't authorize it."   
----------------   
"I feel so sorry for that man."   
"Who?"   
"The news anchor."   
"Him?!"   
"Yeah."   
"And... no one else?"   
"Josh... Of course I feel sorry for other people. We've been in the same vicinity all day, so you know how I've been reacting. I alternate from wanting to sit down and cry, to having goosebumps that practically refuse to go away, to... I don't what else, Josh."   
He kept his mouth shut.   
"I was just saying that I feel sorry for him - he's been doing this the entire day, no break. He can't go home and talk to his family about this, he doesn't have anyone to talk to about it. He just has his own mind and a teleprompter. And the latter doesn't listen."   
Josh nodded.   
She yawned in spite of herself.   
"It's been a long day for everyone, Donna." 

geovisit();


	7. Part 7

The President was going to deliver his national address and the majority of the White House staff was there for a first-hand, eye-witness account of his words.   
Side-by-side were aides, consultants, directors-of-this, deputies-of-that, secret service agents, and miscellaneous staffers. A janitor stood outside earnestly pretending to clean and dust a picture that no one ever noticed or really cared about simply because his President was going to speak, and he didn't want to miss this.   
Jed knew how important he was at the moment - he was speaking directly to his people, to every single American. He had to stay composed and still allow the nation to gain a sense of emotion from him, too. He cleared his throat.   
The cameras responded in a roar of clicks.   
It was time.   
----------------   
Josh was getting goosebumps. Donna must be contagious.   
President Bartlet was about to begin and, out of the corner of his eye, Josh saw CJ's head nodding slightly - the rhythm of the speech was already reverberating in her mind.   
For some reason it startled Josh when the President started to speak. Maybe it was the serious-but-compassionate tone or the aura of the room in general. Either way, there was an overwhelming calm and clarity. And the words were powerful, meaningful:   
"Good evening. Fellow citizens, the very freedom of the nation was attacked today. The victims were our parents, siblings, our friends, neighbors, and relatives. They were people we knew very well and loved, and they were people we didn't know, ones we hadn't met yet. But these despicable acts were carried out on Americans. Just the fact that these people were in our country when this happened - that connection alone binds us and our hearts and prayers with every single victim in the tragedy today.   
America is strong and we were targeted because we are the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And we will continue to be that great beacon - no one will keep that light from shining.   
Our first priority is to help the victims and their families. Then we will take care of everything else. The scope of these acts and those who organized this - the terrorists themselves and those who harbored them - will be exposed and will not be left unpunished.   
On behalf of the American people, I would like to thank the world leaders that have begun to voice their condolences for the United States. I hope that together, we can win the war against terrorism and stop evil acts such as those today. This is a plague that needs to end. But we can't do it on our own - we will need some help.   
'Though, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.'   
No one will forget this day.   
Thank you and good night.   
God Bless America."   
----------------   
Ginger finally found Toby in Sam's office which was oddly lacking of Sam. Toby seemed to be trying to avoid her for some reason.   
"You have an important phone call."   
Darn it. She had found him.   
"Yeah. Thank you Ginger."   
All his phone calls were important.   
"It's urgent."   
"Yeah."   
They were always urgent, too.   
"It's from Manhattan."   
Everyone would be getting some phone calls from Manhattan.   
"It's your cousin."   
"I know."   
He knew.   
----------------   
"It was a nice speech."   
"Yah."   
There was a brief silence.   
"Donna, do you have any food at home?"   
"Yes."   
"Ok."   
"Josh."   
"Yah?"   
"Do you want to come over for dinner?"   
"Oh, no. I've got some bread and a turnip in the fridge. I'm ok."   
"Josh."   
"Yah?"   
"You're coming over."   
"If you insist. I have to tell you though, I've been waiting for an excuse to eat that turnip. And I think that the alternative to not eating it - going hungry - is a pretty good excuse."   
"Josh. You don't eat turnips. I bet you've never even had one before. Come over."   
"Ok. I'm just going to make a couple phone calls and I'll catch up with you."   
"Okay."   
Donna closed the door to his office behind her. He was impossible sometimes; it was like arguing with a child. She sighed. He was just so... so... In a word, he was:   
Josh.   
----------------   
Toby found CJ at her desk.   
"I passed Danny in the hall."   
She didn't look up.   
"Yeah. I was giving him some last minute info and questions to ask, and I thanked him for his cooperation."   
Toby nodded.   
She waited for him to say what he was going to say.   
"They're okay. They had been in the building a few minutes when the plane hit, so they got out. They're okay."   
She stood up and looked at him, smiling a little bit. She spoke sincerely.   
"I'm glad they're okay."   
"Yeah."   
----------------   
Sam walked in.   
"Hi, Charlie."   
"Hi, Sam."   
"What are you doing?"   
"Penciling some things in and getting ready to leave."   
"Ah."   
"Going home, too?"   
"Yah. I thought I would. Actually, I wanted to leave a note for the President - I'll talk to him if he has time tomorrow."   
Charlie looked at the President's schedule.   
"He might have a few minutes here or there, but don't expect anything. I'll be sure to mention it, though."   
"Thanks."   
"Well, I'm finished here."   
They walked out and were joined by Leo.   
"I hope you don't mind if I follow you two out."   
"Your company's never a burden, Mr. McGarry."   
"Thanks, Charlie."   
----------------   
It was late. Jed sat up, the television partially illuminating the room, but he wasn't interested in watching the TV. The light played shadows across Abbey's face. He watched her sleep, and was deep in thought.   
He imagined the extent of strain that this whole event would settle on him, his family, and his staff. But he just had to keep doing his job.   
It struck him how incredible it was that a single day could change everything so significantly. The lives, the economy, the sense of security - everything in the United States was radically different from the day before. The day had seemed so long, making yesterday like a day passed an eternity ago. Jed was resigned to the fact that today was today - it wouldn't change - and tomorrow was another day.   
Well, actually, it had been tomorrow for a while now. 

geovisit();


End file.
